Chinese aluminum scrap recycling is comparatively low at 32 percent, but set to rise rapidly to 70 percent, Peikai Song, vice president of Aluminium Corporation of China said last week.
In a paper prepared for an international aluminum conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Song said that "vast vistas" were opening up.
"The aluminum industry of China is at a speedy developing stage, the attention of the government, enterprise, public is thoroughly aroused as to the importance of aluminum recycling," Song said in the paper.
Song added that the development of Chinese aluminum scrap recycling will bring investment and trading opportunities for foreign companies.
Chinese aluminum recycling totaled 918,000 metric tons in 2001, compared with 536,000 metric tons in 1998 - the first year for which Song presented data.
Chinese primary aluminum output totaled 3.43 million metric tons in 2001, up from 2.42 million in 1998, while consumption rose to 3.65 million metric tons from 2.42 million over the same period.
Jurg Gerber, chairman of the International Aluminium Institute's global aluminum recycling committee described China's potential as "huge."
He added that global aluminum inventory, estimated at between 300 million and 500 million metric tons, was rising by 21 million metric tons a year. Reuters